


bedtime

by kalebale



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: And Mac's just adorable, Family, Future Fic, Jake and Amy put Mac to sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24141925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalebale/pseuds/kalebale
Summary: “Your son..”“What’d he do?”“Well, he asked me about pumpkins and pumpkin seeds and--”“MOM! IF I EAT THE PUMPKIN SEEDS, WILL A BIG PUMPKIN GROW IN MY TUMMY?”//four times Mac tries to stop Amy during bedtime, and one time that he tells her something that makes her heart swell
Relationships: Jake Peralta & Amy Santiago, Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 4
Kudos: 92





	bedtime

**Author's Note:**

> I read this article yesterday about a boy who kept stalling his mom during bedtime, and it heavily inspired all of this.
> 
> Article: https://greenlemon.me/mom-shares-30-times-her-6-year-old-boy-cleverly-stalled-her-with-questions-before-bedtime/?fbclid=IwAR0ni1msuvm1F83CAk3mYkXHNmjxkdL1KUYMQna7mQQgFnApBLiUwyu3O4s
> 
> ENJOY OUR FAV NUG--MAC!!

“‘Where is the little sleepyhead?’” Amy read the last two pages of Mac’s bedtime story as his eyes began to droop. Looking down, she couldn’t resist pecking his forehead. “‘Asleep in Mama’s arms.’”

Mac gave a tiny yawn, trying his best to fight off the sleep. “That was a good book, Mom. You should read it to Lucy when she’s not a baby anymore.”

She ran her fingers through his heavy curls with a light chuckle. “I think she would love that. Now, it’s time for you to fall asleep.”

He rubbed his eyes before sitting up and watching Amy get off the bed. “But Mommy..”

“No buts. You have school tomorrow.” Leaning back down and pulling the covers back over him, Amy pressed one last kiss on his cheek. “Goodnight, love. Sweet dreams.”

Before any protests could be made, the mother of two made her great escape out to the living room, finding her husband trying to decide on a movie. “What are you feeling tonight, Ames? Wanna laugh? Cry? Try to solve a case a detective couldn't?”

She laughed at his comment before joining him on the couch. “No ‘Die Hard’?”

“I mean,” Jake got up to grab his cherished DVD case from the drawer below the TV, “‘Die Hard’ is  _ always  _ an option.”

“Mommy?” A small voice called out from the kids’ bedroom. A hint of concern covered it.

Just before Jake could jump into action and go check on their son, Amy urged him to stay and pick out the movie. “He probably just needs some water or something. It’ll only take a minute.”

“Mommy?”

“You sure? You put him to bed. It’s only fair that I go check on him.” Jake slightly argued back while already knowing he would lose this battle.

“Mom!” Mac’s voice grew louder, echoing through the home.

Amy turned her head back towards the direction of his room. “One sec, Mac. I’m coming.” Looking back at Jake and already walking towards Mac, she replied, “Just pick a movie and I’ll be back!”

Down in his room, she opened the door to find Mac sprawled on his stomach over the covers. He stared down his stuffed turtle, eyebrows furrowed and deep in thought.

“What are you doing out of bed, love?” Turning on the overhead light, Amy made her way over to sit on the edge of the bed.

“I have a question,” His focused face turned up to face her confused one, “A  _ really  _ important one.”

She shook her head, “Go for it.”

“Have you ever eaten a pumpkin?”

Amy, caught off guard, raised an eyebrow. “A pumpkin?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, not really.” She stifled a laugh. “Why bud?”

“Have you ever eaten pumpkin seeds?”

A long pause came on her end. “Ye-yeah?”

“What do they taste like?”

She got off the bed before proceeding to the door, still holding back from bursting out laughing. “Mac, go to bed.”

“But Mom--”

“Goodnight, pal.”

“What do they taste like?!”

The door softly closed behind her as she joined Jake back in the living room. “Your son..”

“Is liquid fire.” Jake laughed at his joke while earning a small scowl from Amy. “What’d he do?”

“Well, he asked me about pumpkins and pumpkin seeds and--”

“MOM! IF I EAT THE PUMPKIN SEEDS, WILL A BIG PUMPKIN GROW IN MY TUMMY?”

//

The next night, Amy chose to tuck Mac in again. Their small interaction from the night before left her and Jake laughing and her wanting to hear more of what happened inside her son’s beautifully chaotic mind.

The typical peck on the forehead, Amy smiled at her son. “Goodnight, Mr. Mac. I love you.”

“Does Dad have a job?”

“Yeah, he works--”

“As a ninja turtle?” His eyes popped open, full of hope.

“Not.. Not really.”

“Right.” His head fell back on the pillow, eyes staring up at the ceiling. “That was a really long time ago. When you were a kid like me. But you lived with dinosaurs.”

Worried about what would come next, she got up to begin her exit. “Goodnight, pal.”

“A long, long, long, long, long, long--”

“GOODNIGHT MAC.”

//

“Después.. de todo, a los.. dragones... les.. encantan..” Mac’s focus remained on the Spanish story book he picked out that night. Right beside him was Amy, watching and listening to him slowly sound out each word. 

They’ve read the book multiple times before, but this was his first time attempting to read it. Besides a few pauses to think how to say it and a few words the boy stumbled over, Mac did great at his first Spanish reading attempt.

“Los tacos! The end!” He exclaimed, closing the book and looking up at Amy with his wide grin. “I did it, Mommy! I read in Spanish!”

“You did! I’m so proud of you!” Amy gave a tight squeeze while beginning to finish up their bedtime routine with tucking him in and her signature forehead kiss. “Goodnight, Mac Attack. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“What’s the name of the place we get books?” His quizzical look stared her down, stopping her escape. “A li-bary?”

“A library, yep.”

“Why do they call it a li-bary?”

A sigh was the only response she could give. Jake was waiting out in the living room with wine and a surprise night-in. There was only one cop-out she could think of to get her out of this wild conversation. “I don’t know, babe. Goodnight.”

“Because people  _ lie _ ? They lie about the library?” Mac continued to try as the door shut behind his mom.

“What did he ask about tonight? The moon? Our nation’s economic situation? Where cheese sticks came from?” Jake asked as he heard her feet coming towards the living room.

Before she could sit down and even respond with tonight’s bizarre question, Mac called back down from his room. “IS IT BECAUSE THEY LIE MOM? WHY ARE THEY LYING? DO THEY KNOW LYING’S BAD? CAN YOU ARREST THEM FOR LYING AND PUT THEM IN TIME OUT?”

//

“Wait Mom,” Mac stopped Amy mid-kiss, holding both hands up in the air, “I need to tell you about my dog.”

“You don’t have a dog, Mac.”

“I knew you would sneeze a lot and not want it.” Mac shrugged, now avoiding eye contact. “So you don’t have to see him.”

Amy pulled back from her son. A worried look overcame her. “McClane, are you telling me--”

Turning up immediately to face her, Mac’s lips curled into a sly smile. “I HID HIM!”

“JAKE!”

//

“Are you sure you want me to come in there? Bedtime’s been your thing for the past month,” Jake asked as they stood outside their son’s room, debating on whether Jake joins them for bedtime or not. “You seem to handle everything pretty good in there.”

“Jake, he tried to trade me my badge for one of my binders last night. He had both of them. I have no clue how he got both of them.”

Nodding a bit excessively, he began to see her point. “Yeah, it’s probably best that I come in. But just for tonight.”

She rolled her eyes back at him. “Fine. Just for tonight. But remember, he gets all this weirdness from you.”

“But you love _all_ _this_!”

“Tell me that next time when our son bluntly asks me if I felt ready for parenthood.”

The reading and routine came and went, leaving all three snuggled into the boy’s bed with Mac in between his parents. Like many other nights, his eyes drooped heavily, begging for sleep. She looked to her husband. Maybe they won’t get a weird question or thought tonight.

“Mommy? Daddy?”

“What’s up bud?” Jake replied, anxious to hear his son’s thought and see if Amy’s stories were just as weird as they sounded at times.

“Tell me one state.”

His father made eye contact with Amy, wondering how to respond. “Uh.. Kansas?”

“There’s your one, sweet boy. Now, it’s time for bed.” Leaning down for a kiss, Amy pressed one on his curls while smelling the coconut shampoo from his bath earlier that night. Her son was special but she absolutely adored his mind. “Goodnight, babe. I love you.”

“Goodnight, pal. Sleep tight.” Jake echoed his wife’s actions before following her cue to leave.

The couple left the bed and tip toed towards the door. Turning off the light, Mac’s nightlight, a globe that projected the night sky along with the planets and constellations, shone onto the ceiling. Cars passed by their small abode with the other various noises of New York drifting on in the background.

“Wait, Mom!” Mac’s voice panicked and caused them to stop in their tracks. He got out of bed, going to wrap his arms around Amy’s legs. “I picked you.”

She looked down and ran her fingers through his hair, confused. “Huh?”

“I picked you.” He continued, “When I was a baby in heaven, I picked you. For my mom.”

At that moment, her heart melted, wanting to scoop up her son and shower him with kisses. Mac always had something about him that made her swoon. Amy wasn’t sure if it was because he was their firstborn or just simply their kid, but something about Mac had her wrapped around his finger.

“I picked your tummy so you’re MY mom. And Lucy’s. You’re perfect. I’m glad I picked you.” With one last squeeze, Mac let go and skipped back to bed, not putting up another fight. “Goodnight Mommy. I love you.”

Jake closed the door behind them, leaving them back where they started before bedtime. He folded his arms and looked at Amy. “So our kid’s weird you say?”

Amy shook her head with her smile slowly growing. “No, he’s perfect.”


End file.
